71 killed after plane carrying Brazilian soccer club team crashed in Colombia

An
image released by the Colombian police of the crash
site.Colombian
police.

A chartered plane, with the registration number CP2933,
traveling from Bolivia crashed outside the Colombian city of
Medellín.

71 people died, while six have survived.

The Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense was on
board.

Reports say 68 passengers and nine crew members were on
board.

Seventy-one people have died after a chartered plane carrying the
Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense crashed in Colombia near the
city of Medellín, Reuters
reported Tuesday, citing the Colombian police.

Seven survived the crash, including players Alan Ruschel,
Follmann, and Neto. The goalkeeper Danilo also survived the crash
but later died from his injuries. Earlier reports that Danilo's
death left only five survivors turned out to be erroneous. The
latest
available information suggests that two crew members and a
journalist are also among the survivors.

The local public TV station Teleantioquia said Neto was hospitalized in a critical condition.
Teleantioquia also reported that Ruschel, a 27-year-old left back
on loan from Internacional, was in stable condition. The
Brazilian media network Globo is reporting that goalkeeper
Follmann has had his leg amputated.

In a tweeted statement, Fox Sports Latin America
confirmed that six of its Brazilian staff members were killed in
the accident. Carlos Martínez, the president of Fox Networks
Group Latin America, said his thoughts were with the families of
those killed in the "tragedy."

The South American Football Confederation has suspended all games
and other activities because of the crash.

Pictures
have emerged of Chapecoense players on the plane, including Alan
Ruschel and Danilo, right.Twitter

The plane, with the registration number CP2933, crashed outside
Medellín around midnight local time (5 a.m. GMT). The accident
reportedly occurred in the town of La Unión, about 53 miles from
the Medellín airport.

Google Maps

The BBC translated the following airport press release, which
says an electrical fault to the control tower was to blame for
the crash. Here is the statement in Spanish:

The chartered Lamia flight — from Viru Viru airport in Bolivia to
Jose Maria Cordova airport in Colombia — was carrying the
Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense, which was due to play in the
first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana against the
Medellín team Atletico Nacional. The game was scheduled for
Wednesday.

The world soccer community has responded to the news. "Our
thoughts are with everyone at @ChapecoenseReal, their families
and all those affected by the tragedy in Colombia," Chelsea said on Twitter. Others added:

Chapecoense is from the city of Chapeco in southern Brazil. The
club was founded in 1973 and is ninth in the Brazilian top
division, Serie A. The team was the underdog in the Copa
Sudamericana final against Colombia's Atletico Nacional. The
competition has been compared to the Europa League in Europe.

Chapecoense posted a recent video of the team celebrating on
Facebook. "Let this be the last image of our warriors," the club
said in a short message.

Fans also gathered at the team's stadium in Brazil. A video
on RCN
Radio's Twitter feed shows supporters clapping and singing in
a show of respect for the club.